MY SOMALI BOOK 185 



Elmi said the foot had begun to pain a good deal, 

 and there was some swelling, but I assured him it was 

 all right. This was apparently the bite of a small 

 viperine snake, and so far as I know there is no 

 dangerous viper in this part of the country (though I 

 believe echis cariiiata has been recorded from Eastern 

 Somaliland) ; and this seemed to be Abdilleh's 

 opinion. Besides, it was my birthday ! as well as 

 being the very last day of our journeyings ; I could 

 not anticipate a tragic finale. 



And it proved all right ; in the morning Elmi was 

 nearly himself again, and an early start brought me 

 into Berbera in time to breakfast with the hospitable P. 



So ended the expedition. There remained a couple 

 of fairly strenuous days in Berbera, selling my animals, 

 paying off my following, and packing up. After I had 

 arranged for an auction a Somali turned up who offered 

 to buy my twelve camels at Rs.25 a head. I jeered 

 at the idea, and eventually he went up to Rs.30 but 

 no more. It was not a tall offer, I had paid an average 

 price of Rs.55 a head, but I might do worse. So I 

 determined to see what sort of bids the auction would 

 produce, putting on reserve prices, but making a con- 

 ditional arrangement with my friend in case of need. 



In the afternoon the whole of Berbera assembled 

 for the auction. But do you think the beggars would 

 bid ? They knew that I must sell, and thought they 

 had me up a gum-tree. The first camel put up was the 

 pick of the bunch, and had kept its condition well, 

 so even now at the end of a two months' trip ought 

 to have fetched at least Rs.50. By slow degrees the 

 price climbed up — the old Arab auctioneer doing his 



